1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multilayer ceramic electronic component and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a high capacitance multilayer ceramic electronic component, and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, electronic components using a ceramic material, such as a capacitor, an inductor, a piezoelectric element, a varistor, a thermistor, or the like, include a ceramic body formed of a ceramic material, internal electrodes formed in the ceramic body, and external electrodes mounted on surfaces of the ceramic body so as to be connected to the internal electrodes.
Among ceramic electronic components, a multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a plurality of dielectric layers, internal electrodes disposed to face each other, having the dielectric layer interposed therebetween, and external electrodes electrically connected to the internal electrodes.
The multilayer ceramic capacitor has been widely used as a component for a mobile communication device such as a computer, a personal data assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, or the like, due to advantages such as a small size, high capacitance, ease of mounting, or the like.
Recently, in accordance with the trend toward high performance, slimness and lightness in products produced by the electrical appliances and electronic device industries, relatively small, high performance, and inexpensive electronic components have been required. Particularly, as speeds of central processing units (CPU) have increased and devices have been miniaturized, lightened, digitalized, and have had high degrees of functionality implemented therein, research into technology allowing for miniaturization, thinness, high capacitance, low impedance in a high frequency area, or the like, to be implemented in multilayer ceramic capacitors, has been actively conducted.
Particularly, as thicknesses of the internal electrodes are reduced, a problem in terms of connectivity of the internal electrodes may occur, resulting in a deterioration in reliability of the multilayer ceramic electronic component.
In addition, as thicknesses of the internal electrodes are reduced, a problem in terms of connectivity of the internal electrodes may occur, resulting in a problem in implementing high capacitance in the multilayer ceramic electronic component.